Friday

Family and Friends Dinner! There are some days weeks when I just can't wait for Friday to arrive. Thanks to M we are staying in at the Big House tonight and as soon as I'm finished at work for the day (which may be delayed because we have a celebration event scheduled for this afternoon), I'll be the one racing home, packing my bag, feeding the animals and hot-footing it in to Broadbeach to join S and M.
Well, that was the plan and I finally arrived there two hours later than planned - but in the meantime I had a nice social catch-up at work (lovely mocktails in various flavors including strawberry) and then a lovely afternoon tea with The Great K who dropped in to Latimers (unannounced) to collect the book M had carried back for him from Sydney and the hard drives I have loaded with viewing material for him. He is well and thinking of a visit to his family in Sydney next weekend although he seems very undecided about this. His studies seem to be going well although he has been a little sleep deprived because assignments have been due. He managed three hours the night before last, and about the same again last night. Ah, to be young again and to be able to keep those kind of hours. These days double that is about half as much as I need to function effectively!
Dinner was great. At Zen again but with a few different dishes this time. We had the biggest table - even though there were only five of us - we could have fitted a few more in and still had room to spare! M is still in NZ (but not because she is stuck there with the ash cloud) and has now extended her trip but five days so she can catch up with people properly - which, as F says, she might as well do since she is already there! He will miss her though!
After dinner we went in to the Casino proper and F, M, Mouse and I jumped on to a CSP table that was just opening. They had three CSP tables open this evening - probably because so many people are keen to play - which have something to do with the jackpot still not having gone off - it's up to over $196,000 now. Alas, none of us won our fortunes, but it was the first time I saw someone dealt four of a kind - just a pity it was the dealer! That would have paid anyone else 20 to 1 (if she'd opened) and $500 from the pot. So close!
S was in bed by the time I arrived back in the room, but she did stir so I was able to tell her about our evening (post-dinner she had gone off in a other direction) and Mouse's first game of CSP! For 84, Mouse is amazing the way she is willing go try new things. (It took me ages to finally get on the CSP table once I'd started thinking about it ... yes, yes ... and now it's hard to get me off it - in fact I think I hear it calling now but I shall resist ... until tomorrow.)